Where the heart is
by duchessliz
Summary: The war has ended and Sasuke has returned to Konoha. Naruto is at once overjoyed and angst ridden as he's finally realized he's been in love with Sasuke all along. Hiding his feelings has never been Naruto's forte. . .and hiding them from Sasuke is even more difficult. How long can he last before he cracks? And how will Sasuke react when he does?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my very first story. . .EVER. . .so please. . .be kind. . .please! I have no beta so. . .any mistakes that are made are purely my own. . .**

**This story is yaoi so if that's not your thing. . .I suggest you turn away. . .**

**I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. . .if I did. . .he and Sasuke would have ended up together a looooooooong time ago! xD**

**Now off to the story. . .**

Uchiha Sasuke's homecoming was not a welcoming one. As he and the rest of the Konoha shinobi, who had joined and survived the war, returned to Konoha the citizens stared at him in a combination of anger and suspicion. Not that he was surprised by this reaction. . .it was only to be expected after everything he had done and said. Hell, he was rather surprised he wasn't confronted by an angry mob with torches and pitchforks.

He smirked at this mental image.

A cheer jerked him from his thoughts and he noticed Uzamaki Naruto's welcome was very different from his own. The citizens of Konoha welcomed him with cheers, laughter and smiles. Genuinely glad to see their village hero return alive and well, unscathed and unharmed.

Sasuke turned and glanced at the dobe, expecting to see his usual bright and cheerful face with his big dobey grin. Instead the blond looked. . .sad. Sasuke frowned and faced forward once more.

He, and a select few shinobi who consisted of both the former and current Team 7, were to immediately report to the Hokage's temporary headquarters to, presumably, figure out what to do with Sasuke.

See, because of Sasuke's contribution to the war the Kage's had decided to forgive his many transgressions with the understanding that he would return to Konoha since Naruto was the only one who stood a chance against him in a fight. Everyone had expected Sasuke to protest but when he had agreed to this. . .ultimatum of sorts. . .they'd been astonished to say the very least.

But the truth is, that after everything Sasuke had been through, and everything he'd learned, he just wanted some sense of normalcy. And the closest he'd ever come to normal had been here in Konoha when he'd been apart of Team 7.

He knew that things couldn't go back, and that Team 7 couldn't ever be the same again, but Naruto had never given up on him as a friend or as a rival. Because of this, Naruto was his very last remaining bond from the past.

He wanted to try and mend that bond. He wanted to get to know the person his friend had become, because Sasuke barely recognized him anymore. They had both changed with the passage of time and separation. Naruto for the better, Sasuke for the worst.

He could acknowledge the fact that he'd traveled down the wrong path. That he'd continually made the wrong choices. But he would not allow himself to become a slave of the Uchiha curse.

* * *

Tsunade silently studied Uchiha Sasuke. She hadn't known the boy very long before he'd disappeared so she hadn't quite understood Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi's determination to bring the boy back.

Even after everything he'd done, everything he'd said, Naruto, the brat, had refused to give up on him. She didn't understand the fascination.

Tsunade sighed and glanced at the blond who was looking rather sad and lost. She barely resisted the urge to hug him.

"I'm officially asigining Sasuke back to Team 7," she stated bluntly. She saw no change in the Uchiha boy's face at her announcement and she grudgingly admitted the kid had a great poker face.

She settled back and eyed him like one would a rabid dog.

"Since you haven't been here for several years you may not be aware of the changes to Team 7, so I'll fill you in. Team 7 is alternately led by either Kakashi or Yamato. The rest of the team includes Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and now yourself."

She watched with interest as Sasuke eyed both Yamato and then Sai before looking back at her, seemingly dismissing them both. She was certain both Yamato and Sai had noticed their inspection and subsiquent dismissal but their expressions gave nothing away. Tsunade made a mental note to never play poker with the three.

She sighed again and eyed the boy who she'd come to love like a son. "Naruto, I'm putting you in charge of Sasuke and until he has proven himself trustworthy the two of you will be sharing living quarters."

Naruto jerked in his seat. Relieved that she'd finally gotten that sad look off his face, she almost cheered. Almost. The Hokage had to be serious at a time like this after all.

"Ba-chan-" Naruto began, only to stop mid-sentence when Tsunade held her hand up.

"This is not up for debate Naruto. Either the two of you live together or Sasuke spends his nights in a jail cell. The choice, as it were, is yours."

He grudgingly conceded.

Tsunade bit back a smile, glad that the blond was somewhat back to his normal bratty self.

At least the next several months would prove interesting.

* * *

After stopping at Ichiraku where Naruto got his ramen fix (some things, it seems, never change), they picked up some clothing and other supplies from some nearby stores before making their way to their shared residence.

While Naruto had been gone the people of the village had worked together and built Naruto a home, and a rather large one at that. Sasuke eyed the large house, rather surprised at how very different people were treating the jinchuuriki.

"Nice house," Sasuke said, breaking the silence that had descended upon them.

Naruto grunted non-committally as he opened the door. Sasuke followed him in, and ran into him when he suddenly stopped.

"Dobe-" he began irritated, but his voice cut off when he saw what had captured the blond's attention.

Someone had put up a large framed picture of the Fourth Hokage and his wife over the fireplace. And on the mantle was a collection of photos that included pictures of Team 7, current and past, the Sannin Jiraiya, the Third Hokage, pictures of the rest of the Konoha 12, the current Hokage, and even a picture of Naruto and the Kazekage.

Sasuke heard what sounded suspiciously like a sob come from the blond. Not really knowing what to do he awkwardly put his hand on his shoulder so that Naruto would know he was there if he needed him. The dobe stiffened a bit before relaxing, taking comfort in Sasuke's gesture.

As Naruto moved closer to look at the pictures displayed on his fireplace mantle, Sasuke let his hand drop and followed Naruto silently, curious about all that had happened in the blond's life in the several years that they'd been separated.

He was also very curious as to how Naruto had gotten so much stonger in such a short amount of time, and what trials he'd faced to gain that power. Because Sasuke knew, more than anyone, that power and hardships went hand in hand.

. . . . . . . .

Naruto eyed the pictures tearfully. He couldn't believe how different Konoha was treating him. . .he'd not gotten used to it yet. The fact that they had collected all of these photographs of his most important people and displayed them so that he would see them as he first walked in the door to welcome him home was incredibly touching. He felt wholly accepted by his home village for the first time in his entire life.

And in addition. . .Sasuke was finally back in Konoha. Naruto had nearly given up hope on bringing his. . .on bringing Sasuke back to Konoha.

Naruto sighed. He'd realized on the battlefield that what he felt for Uchiha Sasuke could not be summed up as mere friendship nor as mere rivals. He'd realized on the battlefield that he was in love with Sasuke. . .and he knew without a doubt in his mind that it would forever remain one-sided. Sasuke would kill him if he ever got wind of Naruto's feelings, and he wasn't exactly keen on the idea of dying before accomplishing his goal of becoming Hokage.

Tsunade ba-chan could not have been more cruel if she'd tried. Naruto knew that she hadn't a clue on how he felt for the Uchiha but now because of her ordering them to live together he was going to be in hell. To be around Sasuke day in and day out, knowing how he felt about the man, and not being able to say or do anything about it. . .it was going to be torturous. But, he supposed he'd lived through worse. . .maybe. . .possibly. . .I mean, how bad could it get?


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took a while but. . .the second chapter is finally here! xD**

**I just want to take a moment to thank those who left a review. . .your words of encouragement are what keep me writing! **

**I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. . .he and Sasuke would have ended up together a loooooong time ago if I did!**

**Again, this is my first story so. . .please be kind. . .please! Also, any mistakes that are made are purely my own, as I do not have a beta. . .**

**Now off to the story. . .**

Sasuke was acting weird. Naruto didn't know what was going on with him and the teme refused to tell him, simply brushing him off whenever he attempted to ask. They'd been living together for six days now and today would be their first day back on active duty.

Naruto woke up when his alarm went off at six in the morning, the ass crack of dawn as far as he was concerned. He growled at the alarm clock and barely resisted the urge to smash it to pieces, before stumbling out of bed and into the shower. After dressing for the day, he staggered into the kitchen and made Sasuke and himself some tamagoyaki to eat with a small side of rice, figuring the food would help wake them both up and give them the energy they would need for whatever Tsunade had planned for them.

Naruto was just sitting down at the breakfast bar when Sasuke came into the kitchen. The Uchiha eyed the meal Naruto had prepared for them both and quickly seated himself.

"Thank you for making breakfast this morning dobe. You didn't have to do that."

Naruto finished chewing the bite in his mouth as he stared at Sasuke in surprise. He'd only been thanked by him a handful of times in the entire time that he'd known him, so to hear him thank Naruto for anything was something special indeed.

"No problem Sasuke. We need the energy for whatever mission ba-chan assigns us. It would have been rude of me to only make myself breakfast so. . .really, thanking me isn't necessary."

"Hn," the teen grunted before begininning to eat.

Naruto hid a grin at the teme's response. It was just so. . .Sasuke.

* * *

An hour later they walked into the Hokage's office and Naruto noticed that he and Sasuke were the last to arrive. Kakashi was reading something, most likely an outline explaining their upcoming mission, but looked up when they came into the room.

Sasuke raised a brow. It was probably the first time he'd ever seen Kakashi actually on time for something, Naruto thought with a small smile on his face.

"Kakashi actually on time for once. . .I suppose there are still some things in this world that can take me by surprise," the Uchiha muttered with a twist of his lips.

Naruto bit back a snort of amusement. Although this wasn't the first time Kakashi had arrived on time, the number was so few that each time he did so it never failed to amaze him.

"Truth be told, I was ten minutes late today," Kakashi corrected with relish, making Tsunade scowl in annoyance. "I'm going on a mission with Sai and Sakura. . .the two of you, on the other hand, will be going on an entirely different mission with Tenzo."

"Yamato!" the man in question corrected in irritation.

Kakashi waved his hand in dismissal and went right back to reading his mission outline. Naruto and Sakura shared a look of amusement.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temple. This particular group always gave her a headache, no matter how fond of them she was. . .every single one of them made her want to drink herself into oblivion sometimes. "Team Yamato will be traveling to Suna at the request of the Kazekage. Further instructions will be given to you by Gaara directly. Yamato, is, of course, in charge unless Gaara informs you otherwise. Are we clear?"

They nodded their assent.

As they turned to leave, Tsunade's voice rang out, stopping them before they could go. "When you get back Naruto, there is something that I would very much like to discuss with you. So report back to me immediately upon your return. Are we clear?"

Naruto nodded. He glanced discreetely at Sasuke and wondered if it was something concerning the Uchiha. Probably. Tsunade didn't seem to like him much after all.

* * *

The trip to Suna would take a few days. There really wasn't much they could do to speed it up other than to shorten their rest times, but Yamato had discarded the idea, stating that it would be better for them to arrive well rested as they did not know the difficulty of their upcoming mission.

Sasuke had barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yamato should know better. Sasuke and Naruto were in a class of ninja all their own. Technically he and Naruto should still be genin, as they'd passed no test to raise their classification. However, when the war ended Sakura, Naruto, and himself had been given the title of Sannin like the ones who had trained them. They were all considered to be on par with the level of Kage. . .but truth be told, every shinobi in existence knew that he and Naruto could easily defeat the Kage's were they ever put in such a position. Watching the two of them fight side by side during the war was a testament to that fact. They had no equals. Not even Sakura who bore the same title as them. The difference in power was just too great.

On the other hand, Yamato's decision was a sound one because, even though he and Naruto were powerful, mistakes were more frequently made when a shinobi was worn out. In their line of work even the smallest of mistakes was the difference between life and death.

Sasuke sighed as he realized he was being an ass. Naruto seemed to trust in this Yamato person so. . .perhaps he should try and place his trust in the man as well.

"Sasuke?" Yamato inquired, exasperation in his voice, making it clear that it was not the first time he's said the Uchiha's name.

Pulled from his thoughts, Sasuke looked over at their team leader. "You called?" he grumbled sarcastically, mentally wincing as he realized he'd let his irritation leak out when he'd just decided that he was going to attempt to play nice. Well. . .that thought had gone to hell pretty damn fast.

Yamato stared at him silently a moment. Almost like he was annalyzing the irrate young man, trying to figure out the meaning of his every thought and action. It was damn disconcerting. The jounin blinked, and then shook his head, as if he'd come to some realization about him but was dismissing it to either think about later or simply because he did not want the distraction that it was sure to bring, Sasuke wasn't sure which.

"You're first on look out duty. Wake me in two hours," the man ordered, taking Sasuke by surprise. He then settled down in front of the fire not giving him the chance to disagree. Even if he'd wanted to.

Sasuke briefly eyed the man's back before glancing over at Naruto who had settled himself on the opposite side of the fire.

The blond smiled at him as he shrugged. "He's like that. Need company?" he asked as he started to get up.

Sasuke waved him back down and shook his head. "You'll be getting a turn too dobe, so rest while you can."

Naruto settled back down with a nod. "Wake me if you change your mind teme."

Sasuke sighed as he absently nodded at Naruto. It was going to be a long trip to Suna.


	3. Chapter 3

**First off. . .this chapter is shorter than the previous two. . .but. . .it had to be. . .sorry about that. . .**

**Secondly. . .this story is becoming so much ****_fun_**** to write! And I beg you not to strangle me by the time you finish this chapter. . .I know you'll want to! I'm wicked, and I know it! bwahahaha xD**

**Again. . .this is my very first story. . .so please. . .be kind. . .**

**I do not have a beta so any mistakes that are made are purely my own. . .**

**I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. . .I just own this plot. . .I wish I owned Naruto though. . .but, alas, I do not. . .**

**This story will ****_eventually_**** be yaoi so if that's not your thing. . .I suggest you turn away. . .**

**Now off to the story. . .**

* * *

The trip may have been long, but it was uneventful.

Despite stopping to rest, they set a brisk pace that, in the end, had led them to reaching Suna in just over two days. Temari had been there to greet them and had immediately led them to Gaara's office. He hadn't been there when they'd arrived, so Temari had asked them to wait inside while she tried to track him down.

An hour later Gaara walked in looking exausted and annoyed.

Naruto bit his lip knowing that since Shikaku had returned to Gaara his ability to sleep had returned to what it had been before. . .non-existant. He'd thought perhaps the two would find some common ground like he and Kurama had, but it did not seem as if that was the case. . .

_'You're reading into things too deeply Naruto. Shikaku wanted to return to Gaara to heal him, so I do not believe that they would have much trouble getting along'_. Kurama grumbled inside his head.

Naruto nodded absently, which made Sasuke shoot him a questioning look. Naruto just shrugged and pointed to his seal. Sasuke inclined his head in acknowledgement.

Gaara sat down at his desk and eyed each of them in turn. His calm jade eyes flickering to an irritated glare at the sight of Sasuke before he shifted his gaze back to Naruto. His eyes softened immediately.

"I called the three of you here on a recovery mission," Gaara announced quitely.

"Recovery mission?" Sasuke growled out in disbelief. "Why couldn't you use your own shinobi for this? What, are they not capable enough?"

Naruto let out a groan when he saw Gaara tense up as if he were about to leap across the desk and strangle the Uchiha. "Shut up, teme! Gaara is Kazekage, he deserves to be treated with respect! He must have called us here for a reason! So just be silent and allow him to explain!"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

Gaara settled back in his seat, but kept a distrustful eye on the annoyed Uchiha.

"I recently received word that a shinobi we'd believed deceased was spotted in the Grass country. I sent an envoy to check this out and find out if the rumor was in fact truth. . .the envoy sent back a coded message that it was, but that things were not what they seemed. The shinobi in question does not remember who he is. . .and so he has been living as someone else for several months now. Your mission is to try to help him regain his memories, so that you may return him to his village. . .but do _not_ try and force memories on him. My envoy has advised against that. This is a very delicate situation and must be handled carefully."

Naruto frowned. "Um, Garra? How are we going to get this man to remember who he is? I don't know the Suna shinobi very well an-"

"The man in question is from Konoha," Gaara interrupted, a slight smile on his face.

Naruto froze. Gaara rarely smiled. He'd only seen the man do so two other times in the entire time that he'd known him.

"Who?" Naruto croaked out, knowing that it was someone important to him judging by Gaara's smile.

"I am putting you in charge of this mission Naruto. All decisions are to be made by you. Sasuke and Yamato are your back up and will follow any and all orders you give them concerning this mission. Is this understood?" the red head questioned, his eyes never leaving the Uchiha's. Sasuke tilted his head to the side, studying the red head silently, before nodding his head. Yamato gave the Kazekage a brisk nod when the jade green eyes turned in his direction.

Satisfied, Gaara silently handed Naruto an envelope and gestured for him to open it. His heart was beating frantically in his chest and his hands shaking so badly it was a wonder he didn't drop the envelope. He opened it with some trepidation. He pulled out a picture and felt his world tremble at the sight of a person he'd thought never to see again.

Ero-Sennin. . .

* * *

**See. . .I warned you that you'd want to strangle me. . .you can't say that I didn't warn you. . .**

**I know it was evil of me to end the chapter this way but. . .I just couldn't help myself. . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Some of this chapter will be a re-cap of sorts. . .not all of it mind you. . .just some of it. . .but. . .ya. . .srry about that. . .hope you enjoy it. . .and my own little twist I added to some things. . .on the bright side. . .it's the longest chapter so far! xD**

**Thank you for your encouragement thus far, it's what keeps me writing!**

**Again, I do not have a beta so any mistakes made are my own. . .and. . .I'm still new at writing. . .so please. . .be kind. . .**

**I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. . .unfortunately. . .**

**Now off to the story!**

* * *

Gaara hadn't told Naruto much more about Jiraiya other than '_There is nobody alive who knows him better than you do, and nobody he trusts more_.' and _'It would be better if you met him yourself rather than have me tell you things that would affect how you handle the situation. His life is currently not endangered and right now that is all you need know'_. Needless to say, Naruto was not happy with the utter lack of information.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sasuke was completely at a loss. He had seen the Sannin in passing before he'd left Konoha but didn't really know all that much about him and thus had not formed an opinion on the man. However, he could clearly see that the news of Jiraiya's survival had shaken Naruto to the core. The Sannin meant the world to the blond, this fact was patently obvious. While Naruto was making plans for their journey Sasuke decided to get some answers. The Uchiha approached Yamato and asked to speak with him in private.

Once they were alone Yamato asked, "What is it that you want to know Sasuke?"

"Who is Jiraiya to Naruto? Why does he care so much for the man? Why would Naruto know him better than anyone else? And why would the man trust Naruto more than anyone else?" Sasuke blurted out in a rush, confused by the blond and his relationship with the Sannin.

Yamato sighed. "Jiraiya was like family to him. . .he loved him like a grandfather. The truth is that the Sannin was actually Naruto's godfather, though this is not a known fact. Jiraiya was the one who trained Naruto's father Minato. Also, Naruto was named after the main character from Jiraiya's first novel 'Tales of a Gutsy Ninja' which just happened to be Minato's favorite book. Jiraiya adored Naruto's parents and was looking forward to the birth of their son. He was out on a mission the day Naruto was born and when he returned he was told that his favorite student and his wife had died. He was informed by the Third that Minato had sealed the Kyuubi inside the infant Naruto and that the information was to remain classified. Jiraiya was allowed to raise Naruto for the first two years of his life. . .after that, Jiraiya was told he would need to leave Konoha until Naruto turned thirteen. Only then, would he be allowed to take over his training. However, he returned to Konoha early. . .and met Naruto by chance. He began training Naruto for the chuunin exam finals without the approval of the Third.

When the Third died Jiraiya was informed that he was the chosen candidate for the Fifth. The only problem being that Jiraiya did not want the responsibility. He just wanted to train Naruto. . .he didn't want to become Hokage. His dream had never included becoming Hokage and that hadn't changed with the passage of time. With this in mind, he and Naruto went on a trip to find his old comrade Tsunade to take over the position instead. From there you know that they succeeded in bringing Tsunade back."

Yamato paused, cleared his throat, and then continued, "After you defected from Konoha, Jiraiya took Naruto and left the village to train him. They were gone for just over two years. He originally intended to help him learn to control the Kyuubi's chakra, but after a close brush with death he decided that was not the best action. During the two years they were training the two formed a very close relationship. Jiraiya loved Naruto as if he were his own grandchild. He had such high hopes for him, and truly believed that Naruto would not only become Hokage, but that he had the ability to change the entire shinobi world as we know it, and bring a much-needed peace to all. He told Naruto that although he couldn't give him the answers on how to achieve this, he honestly believed that Naruto would be the one to do it.

When they came back to Konoha Naruto almost immediately set off after you. And while he was off chasing after you. . .actually around the time you killed your brother. . .Jiraiya was supposedly killed. Naruto returned home to Konoha only to learn that Jiraiya had been murdered while trying to get information on a supposed Akatsuki hideout.

Naruto was. . .heartbroken. The normally happy young man that we all know so well, holed himself up in his apartment. He was grieving. . .and hard. Eventually with the help of Shikamaru and Iruka he began socializing again, but. . .he still grieved. Shortly thereafter he was taken to Mount Myōboku at the request of the toad sage Fukasaku-sama to learn senjutsu. While he was away. . .the man who killed Jiraiya, a man who called himself 'Pain', showed up in Konoha. He said he was there to retrieve the Kyuubi jinchuuriki and if nobody would tell him Naruto's whereabouts he would kill them and lay waste to the village. Only a small handful of people actually knew the truth of where Naruto was at so. . .many, many, many people were killed. Kakashi included."

Sasuke frowned in confusion. If Kakashi had been killed. . .how was he alive now?

"Pain used a jutsu that completely annihilated Konoha except for Hokage Mountain and the gates leading into the village. Naruto showed up right after this jutsu had been used. . .like the hero he became. Pain was fighting using a jutsu called 'The Six Paths of Pain' which were like puppets. . .none of the six were his real body. Using his newly learned Sage Mode Naruto was able to defeat five of the six before he ran into trouble. After watching the sixth Pain stike down Hinata. . .whom Naruto thought had been killed. . .he allowed his hatred of the man to take over, and the Kyuubi attempted to break the seal. He went on a rampage against the final Pain and nearly lost himself. Naruto's father Minato, the Fourth, had imbued the last of his chakra in the seal, set to activate should the ninth tail ever form. This is what saved Naruto. Minato appeared before Naruto and spoke with his son for a short time before fixing the seal. Speaking with his father gave Naruto the resolved he needed, and he was able to defeat the sixth Pain. He used Sage Mode to track down Pain's real body.

Naruto was full of hatred for the man who had killed Jiraiya and so many other people in the village, but out of deference to Jiraiya he asked to hear Pain's story. It turns out that the man's real name was Nagato, and he had also been trained by Jiraiya. He'd experianced so many horrible things in his life that it had crushed his soul. He told Naruto that Jiraiya was foolish to believe that there could be true peace in the world. That as long as humanity lived, hatred would also exist and that there could be no such thing as true peace.

At the end of his story he asked Naruto what his answer was. Naruto pulled out his worn copy of 'Tales of a Gutsy Ninja', which irronically was based on Nagato, and announced to the man that he may be right about there never being true peace in the world, that he also thought the same way. He told him that he understood him. . .but still could not forgive him. That he still hated Nagato, but that Jiraiya had believed in Naruto and had left him with his dream. And he was going to believe in Jiraiya. He told Nagato that he would not kill him because it would go against Jiraiya's wishes.

He informed Nagato that Jiraiya had seriously tried to change the world when he'd written that book, and that he knew that it had been based on Nagato. He said that his name, Naruto, was a precious keepsake from Jiraiya and he wasn't going to do anything to stain it. That he would one day become Hokage, and he would bring peace. Nagato asked him how he could be so sure that he would succeed, that he wouldn't change. Naruto replied that there was a lot of pain nesting inside him as well but if he stopped believing because of that, that if the hero were to change, than the story would become a different one than Jiraiya wrote. He told Nagato that he would write the sequel to Jiraiya's novel by the life that he lives so no matter what kind of pain came into his life he would continue walking. Because that's who Naruto is. . .that's why he was named what he was. And he was going to honor Jiraiya's wishes.

After hearing Naruto's speech it touched something in Nagato and he told Naruto that he was going to choose to believe in him. Nagato then used the last of his chakra on a jutsu called _Gedo Rinne Tensei no Jutsu_ which brought life back to every person he'd killed since entering Konoha. But in doing this, he forfeitted his own life. He said that it was all that he could do. He told Naruto that he believed that he would be the one to bring peace into this world."

Yamato sighed and met Sasuke's eyes which were bright with emotion, what emotion Yamato wasn't quite sure. The Uchiha was just too difficult to read. "I honestly believe that Naruto's hatred of Nagato was erased after this action. I don't think that hatred is something that comes easily to Naruto. . .it is a foreign thing, and an action like this would erase that animosity because, in the end, Naruto is very much like his namesake. He lives up to it without even trying. He still misses Jiraiya a great deal and learning that the man he loved like a grandfather is still alive is a balm on his injured soul. He's going to do everything in his power to restore the man's memories and bring him back to Konoha. No matter how long it will take. . .on this he will not give up."

Having said his piece Yamato left Sasuke to think about what he'd learned.

* * *

The trip to Grass country would take more than a week. After going over the maps and planning where they would stop and how long those breaks would be, Naruto determined that it would take a total of nine days to reach Ero-Sennin. As much as he wanted to rush the journey, he knew that such a thing was unwise, so instead he planned the journey at a more sedate pace than he would like.

The morning after learning of Jiraiya's survival Naruto and his team set off for Grass country after saying a brief farewell to Gaara and Temari. Naruto had once more thanked the red-head for his help with all of this and gave him a hug before he left, taking Gaara by surprise. And yet, Gaara was very pleased with this show of affection from Naruto because he knew that despite the fact that the blond was a very friendly person he didn't really show that affection easily when it came to physical contact. The fact the Naruto felt comfortable enough with him to give him a hug made him feel on top of the world. He considered Naruto to be his best friend after all, and there was no one that he respected more.

As he watched Naruto and his party leave he couldn't help but note the differences in Uchiha Sasuke. He seemed oddly concerned about Naruto, which was a strange sight to see considering the fact that he'd always believed the Uchiha to be into self-gratification only. The fact that he was actually concerned with another led Gaara to acknowledge the fact that even Sasuke was effected by Naruto's special ability to change others. Perhaps this mission was just what he needed. Gaara sincerly hoped that everything went well, and that they'd be able to bring Jiraiya back with little to no difficulty.

Only time would tell how everything would turn out. . .


	5. Chapter 5

**Annnnd. . .here's the fifth chapter! Also. . .we're back on track! I'm not really fond of the fourth chapter but. . .I felt it was necessary for the flow of the rest of the story so I apologize for those of you who disliked the backtrack. . .anyway. . .I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope that you enjoy reading it. . .**

**Again, this is my first story so. . .please be kind. . please!**

**Also, I still do not have a beta so any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone. . .**

**And I still do not own Naruto. . .unfortunately. . .**

**Now off to the story!**

* * *

After four days of near non-stop traveling and intermittent breaks Naruto decided that it was high past time they took a well deserved rest. Upon reaching the familiar village fondly called the Cow's Den by the locals, (this was a prosperous farming village after all) he headed confidently toward his destination, knowing the way from memory.

"We'll stop and rest here for the night," Naruto announced as he looked up at the Speckled Hen Inn with a look of nostalgia on his face. He and Ero-Sennin had once stayed here for a full three weeks whilst they'd been on their training journey. He held many fond memories of the time they'd spent here.

Sasuke turned and glanced at the blond, a puzzled frown on his face.

Naruto gave him a reassuring smile before turning to open the door of the establishment.

"I'll be right with you," a cheerful, yet somewhat harried voice rang out.

"No need to rush Kyna, you can take your time," Naruto called back.

The sound of breaking dishes came from the direction of the kitchen, causing the blond to chuckle in amusement. The sound of running feet followed the crash and a woman came running into the room at full tilt. She let out a shriek of joy and launched herself at Naruto who, luckily, was able to catch her.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, a bright smile on her lovely face.

The blond laughed at his old friend's exuberant welcome. "It's nice to see you again too, Kyna!"

Upon catching sight of Sasuke and Yamato she delicately extracted herself from Naruto and shoved her mane of red curls out of her face. She eyed the two with interest before turning back to Naruto with a pout. "I haven't seen you in nearly three years and all I get is a 'nice to see you, Kyna'? Hmmph, I see how it is!" she exclaimed, a playful look in her silver-blue eyes.

Naruto laughed. "Sorry, sorry!"

Kyna shook her head at him. "And what is it, dare I ask, that has brought you into my neck of the woods?"

Naruto sobered. "Well. . .it's complicated. I can't really get into it with you, as the mission we're on is classified. We just need a place to stay for the night."

Kyna put her hand on her hips and eyed him with her all too mysterious eyes. She let out a sigh before waving her hand in exasperation. "Fine, fine. Keep your secrets. I don't need them anyway."

Sasuke cleared his throat bringing Kyna's attention to him.

"My, but aren't you a pretty one," she announced with a grin.

Naruto snorted out a laugh, which made Sasuke shoot him a withering look. The blond cleared his throat, a huge smile on his face. "These are my friends Sasuke and Yamato," he stated, his voice still shaking with suppressed laughter.

Kyna's eyes widened markedly as she turned to stare at Sasuke in amazement.

Sasuke scowled at her.

She let out a delighted laugh and clapped her hands in glee as she shot Naruto a look of supressed amusement. "He's exactly as you described him to me!" she blurted out.

Naruto looked at the ceiling innocently when Sasuke shot him a look of disbelief.

"You've been speaking of me to strangers?" he asked incredulously. Yet oddly enough, he didn't sound angry. Which is why Naruto thought it safe to look at him.

"Of course he spoke of you! You're his best friend, after all," Kyna declared causing Naruto to turn red in embarrassment.

* * *

An hour later Naruto stepped into the outdoor hot spring, a commodity which had made the Speckled Hen famous by the locals, and settled down to unwind. It was so tranquil that he was beginning to nod off. When he felt someone settle next to him he didn't react at all, not even to glance over to see who it was. It would have taken too much effort. . .he was just too relaxed.

"You look exhausted dobe," Sasuke stated, as he observed his friend in amusement.

Naruto shuddered at the sound of Sasuke's voice and his eyes popped open in dawning horror. He and the Uchiha were in a hot spring. . .naked. . .where he couldn't hide his reaction to his friend. Naruto flipped around and hugged the lip of the pool, propping his hands up to cradle his head so that his action wouldn't look suspicious to the Uchiha. Sasuke couldn't find out that the blond got an erection from just the sound of his voice. He would kill Naruto if he learned the truth, of that, the blond had no doubt.

"Or perhaps I was mistaken," Sasuke added in bemusement, unable to figure out why his seemingly innocent comment had caused such a reaction in his friend. There were so many changes in Naruto that it was hard to grasp what made him tick sometimes. He'd once believed that he knew exactly who Naruto was and understood him completely but. . .now there were so many changes to him that he was learning new things about him constantly. . .and the more Sasuke learned of the blond, the more drawn to him he became.

"I was just thinking. . ." Naruto murmured quietly.

"About?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.

"The past. I was just thinking about the past, and how different the present is to what I once believed it would be," Naruto blurted out on the fly. He mentally patted himself on the back for coming up with this excuse since it was really a very good one. One he was actually curious about now that it was out there.

"Hn. I've had that on my mind as well."

Naruto turned and stared at the Uchiha in surprise.

"What? I'm not allowed to dwell on the past? Even I have regrets dobe. A great many of them, if truth be told," he murmured with a somber look in his eyes.

The blond sucked in a breath as he stared at the man next to him. Sasuke was confiding in him, something he'd never done before. He was not going to do anything that could ruin this moment.

"And what is it you regret the most?" Naruto asked quitely, hoping that he would receive an answer to this question.

Sasuke sighed. "I regret th-"

"Here you both are! I've been wondering where you disappeared to!" Yamato interrupted.

The blond growled at Yamato, completely frustrated at the interruption. Every damn time! Every time the blond got close to finding out something important about the Uchiha he was disrupted. It was disheartening.

At the appearance of Yamato, Naruto's erection withered as if it had never been. Naruto shot Yamato an irritated glare before pulling himself out of the hot spring. He grabbed his towel, wrapped it around his waist, and stomped inside.

* * *

Sasuke smiled as he watched the blond retreat. He knew that his friend was angry over Yamato's interruption but-perhaps it was for the best. Right now they had to focus on their mission, not on Sasuke's regrets. Or of his growing feelings for Naruto.

"Was it something I said?" Yamato inquired as he watched the blond stomp away from them.

Sasuke shook his head and gave the man an uncharacteristic smile. "We were just talking."

Yamato sighed as he settled into the hot spring. "I see. . .I suppose I understand why he's angry with me then."

Sasuke raised a brow.

"You were talking. You rarely talk to him. The fact that I disrupted the two of you is what made him angry," he stated, enlightening the young man before him.

Sasuke nodded. It was true that he didn't speak to Naruto much, but then, he rarely spoke to anyone. He wasn't a people person, never had been, never would be.

Sasuke shot one last glance in the direction that the blond had gone before releasing a sigh. When this mission was over he and Naruto needed to sit down and talk. Until that time they both needed to focus on the mission.

Sasuke sank down further in the hot spring.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Chapter 6 is finally here! Sorry that it took so long but. . .I injured my back at work and between all the doc appointments, meds, and Physical Therapy I haven't really had all that much time to write so. . .sorry it was delayed for so long!**

**I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers who give me the drive to keep working on this story. . .you guys are the best! And I really hope you like this installment. . .**

**I still have no beta so any and all mistakes made are mine and mine alone. . .**

**I don't own Naruto. . .never have. . .never will. . .unfortunately. . .**

**Now off to the story!**

* * *

The next day Naruto woke up in a foul mood. He was still annoyed with Yamato for interrupting his talk with Sasuke, who had finally seemed willing to speak to him about what was bothering him. . .but then Yamato had interrupted and everything had gone to hell.

The blond laid in bed for a good ten minutes after waking before finally deciding to push his irritation aside. He needed to focus on Jiraiya at the moment. He had to find a way to return Ero-Sennen's memories to him so that they could bring him home to Konoha. It was imperative that he set aside his burning curiosity to learn every little thing about Sasuke-hell he needed to bury his feelings for the Uchiha period. . .yet he knew that such a thing wasn't possible. So, instead, he resolved to temporarily bury his feeling and focus on the coming mission.

He could not, under any circumstances, fail this mission.

He would bring Jiraiya home.

* * *

After a brief goodbye to Kyna, and a promise to return on their way back home, Naruto and his team left the Speckled Hen behind them and continued on their journey to the Grass Village.

The rest of the trip was surprisingly uneventful, and so it really came as no surprise that they arrived at their destination a full day earlier than Naruto had speculated.

Their first encounter with Jiraiya was. . .well. . .quite frankly there are truly no words to fully express the encounter. . .

Naruto and his team had arrived in the Grass Village and had immediately met up with Gaara's envoy upon their arrival. Curious about his rather cryptic message to the Kazekage about the situation being rather 'delicate' he, of course, immediately set about questioning the jounin. The man had merely shaken his head and stated that mere words could not express the situation they found themselves in. That it was necessary to _see_ the Sannin to truly understand. . .

The jounin also emphasized the necessity of keeping their presence concealed and just watching him from afar. . .

Naruto's first glimpse of Jiraiya in two years had been. . .an interesting one indeed. . .

They had gone to a temple, of all places. And Jiraiya was dressed in monk robes!

Upon this realization, the blond had shot the Suna jounin a look of disbelief. The man had gone on to explain the circumstances surrounding the Sannin's presence at the temple.

Apparently, Ero-Sennen had been found by a wandering monk who had been on a journey to spread goodwill and good fortune by traveling around and assisting those in need. One day, on his return journey home, he stumbled upon Jiraiya and chose to bring him back to the temple to heal. When Jiraiya had awaken without his memories, the temple offered him shelter. With nowhere else left to go. . .the Sannin had accepted their offer gratefully.

As time passed, and his memories did not return. . .the Sannin became rather fond of his new refuge. . .and decided he wanted to contribute. Now he was in training to become a monk. . .

Naruto was eternally grateful that they had made it before Ero-Sennen had taken the vows that would lead to his head being as bald as a baby's buttocks. If they did not return his memories soon. . .Jiraiya would never forgive the blond for being unable to save his cherished mane. . .for the man had an irrational love for his hair and would be forever scarred were something to happen to it. Ero-Sennen could be diabolically creative when the situation calls for it and he could already see the many, varied, and creative ways to make him pay for his lack of foresight.

After catching his glimpse, Naruto decided it was best to go and formulate a plan to execute their mission. . .so they took their leave to re-group.

* * *

Once they returned to the inn, after thanking him profusely, Naruto dismissed Gaara's envoy so that he could make his journey back to Suna.

As the man took his leave, Naruto sunk bonelessly to his bed. He silently started down at his hands trying to think of their next move. . .and drawing a complete and utter blank.

"Life is certainly playing a great joke on Lord Jiraiya," Yamato murmured.

The blond let out an amused snort. "He certainly isn't the monkish type," he agreed.

"I take that to mean he would never choose such a profession for himself?" Sasuke queried.

Naruto and Yamato shared a look of amusement.

"Imagine Kakashi training to be a monk instead," the blond intoned rather dryly.

Sasuke stared. "That bad?"

"Do you remember the books that Kakashi likes to read?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. "What about them?"

"Ero-Sennen wrote them."

Visibly startled by this revelation Sasuke merely stared at him.

Naruto stared dejectedly down at his hands once more. "So, now you understand how lost I am on what needs to be done to successfully complete this mission."

Sasuke sighed. He honestly hated seeing Naruto like this. He sat down on the bed, beside him, and put his hand on the blond's back where he absently rubbed soothing circles to comfort his friend.

"You'll think of something dobe. You shouldn't expect to instantaneously know what to do next. More often then not, the best laid plans are ones that you took time to think over. You know him best. You'll know what to do when the time is right."

Naruto sighed and gave a tired nod as he relaxed back into Sasuke's soothing ministrations. He leaned back into Sasuke like a cat desperately seeking the touch of it's master, startling the Uchiha who finally realized what he'd been doing.

But. . .he didn't stop.

Yamato cleared his throat. "I'll take this opportunity to excuse myself," he muttered quietly, not wanting to startle Naruto who was beginning to nod off.

Sasuke gave him a resolute nod.

When Yamato left the room he once more turned his attention to his blond dobe who had slumped over, his head falling onto Sasuke's shoulder. The Uchiha carefully laid him down on the bed before crawling in next to him and pulling the covers over them both.

He and Naruto needed to talk. It was time to lay his cards out on the table, so to speak.

Everything would be revealed in the dawn of a new day. . .


End file.
